Safe Jobs Collaborative

A lack of alternative employment opportunities is one of the most serious barriers for people seeking freedom from a trafficker.

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Watch this short video to understand why safe, living wage jobs are essential for individuals who have escaped from a trafficker.

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"But I can tell you that running was not the hard part. The hard part was choosing poverty. The hard part was starting over at age 26, with an 8-year-old girl, being homeless. The hard part was having a criminal record, a huge gap in job history, and more trauma than any person should live with. The hard part was 'What now?'"

Rebecca Bender, Founder & CEO,                          The Rebecca Bender Initiative

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Project Goals

• ​Create a database of safe employers and job training programs for survivors and at-risk individuals.
• Provide training on stress, trauma, and resilience to Safe Jobs Collaborative employers. 
• Support social service agencies in increasing employment opportunities for survivors and at-risk individuals. 

To learn more, read our Safe Jobs Collaborative Program Overview.

BEST is currently piloting a program in King County, WA to increase job training and employment opportunities for survivors of human trafficking and persons at risk of being trafficked.​

Our Approach 

• ​Increase the number of businesses willing to hire survivors and persons at risk of being trafficked.
• Connect survivors and at-risk individuals with existing job training programs and potential employers.
• Collaborate with local service organizations that provide direct services to survivors or at-risk individuals.​
• Provide ongoing support to businesses and the employees they hired as a result of this program.​

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Benefits of Becoming a Safe Jobs Collaborative Employer 

• Receive job applications from qualified applicants.  Applicants are prescreened and receive ongoing job readiness and wrap-around support from social service agencies.
• Get support for your staff throughout the application and onboarding process.

• Attend valuable training to address stress, trauma, and resilience in the workplace.
• Receive public recognition from BEST.
• Help to meet your goals for diversity and inclusion.

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View our Safe Jobs Collaborative employers and social service agency partners.

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Resources

• "Billion Dollar Bets" to Establish Pathways to Careers​
• ​Opportunity Youth Business Case from Grads for Life
• Some Companies Go Nontraditional to Find the Right Fit
• ​Increase Productivity and Retention of Entry Level Employees
• Taking 'Hire Character, Train Skill' From Theory to Practice
• ​Building Opportunity
• ​AT&T's Diverse Mentoring Relationships Accelerate Employee Engagement
• Why Companies Should Invest More in the Retention of Entry-Level Employees

“The contemporary labor market in the United States is failing job seekers, particularly low-income and minority individuals and families... Even for the ‘good’ jobs that do exist, low-income and minority candidates face tough odds, given failing public education systems, limited social networks that link candidates to work-based learning opportunities, and cultural and racial biases that exclude them for not fitting in with the companies’ cultures.”     
​                                                                   The Bridgespan Group, "Billion Dollar Bets"                                                                                       to Establish Pathways to Careers